Connecting the Differences

‘Time is always with the people who have courage to fly, not with the people who stand and watch the sky’, I believed in my favorite quote when during my class at university, received phone call from US embassy Karachi about my selection for SUSI 2013, it was the beginning of a dream converting into reality.
I was the only one from Karachi to participated in six weeks long SUSI (Study in United States Institute) - Women's Leadership in Kansas University, along with another Pakistani girl from Islamabad from June 19 to July 28, 2013. We were the only two women who represented Pakistan among 17 others women from 5 different countries, in which Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Morocco and Mongolia are included.

The program activities included workshops, classes, cultural and city tours, sport, food and outdoor activities. It was an intensive experience of diverse communication with number of different background people. To live with the folks of various communities, cultures, languages and backgrounds was worth experience, even as an individual; each one of us was totally change from others. There were lots of opportunities to share and learn, most of which contained interesting learning encounters, and ones rooted norms and values sounded truly newborn to the other fellow. For example when I mentioned about one custom of rural areas i.e. Vatta satta (exchange marriages) as a social problem for women in Pakistan, it was shocking for other countries to learn about this, as they have strict legal laws of marriage implemented in their respective societies. Along with all the differences, we all became very dear friends in the end and cried so much when we parted.

I found people of United States equally human and natural, they welcomed, supported and facilitated all of us with open hearts, and I truly did my best to improve their perceptions about Pakistan. '' In terms of what I have learned about Pakistan from getting to know our WLI women from Pakistan, is how much they care about their country, how much they care about seeing their country thrive, and how much they have wanted us to know that most of the Pakistani people want peace in their world'', said Dr. Mary Banwart, Assistant Professor of Women's Leadership Institute, University of Kansas, US.

When I asked for her opinion about Pakistan according to her experiences with the women from Pakistan, she further said,'' In each of our WLI women from Pakistan, we have witnessed great courage, great compassion, great intellect and great determination. Thus, the WLI women have represented for us what is truly at the heart of Pakistan.''

Personally, it was big responsibility for me to represent my beloved country and fought back with all stereotypical thoughts which have been portrayed by the media about Pakistani society. Although, I appreciated the understanding ability of people there who never judged me according to so-called typical stereotypes, just as Dr. Becky Eason Alexander, Assistant Professor, University of Kansas said, ‘Getting to know you and your Pakistani sisters reminds me over and over how wrong it can be to categorize people and to assume things just based on nationality.'

''I had only had very positive experiences with the women I met from Pakistan, & that I actually hope to visit Pakistan one day'', told Sara Sofia Anderson, International Programs student assistant at University of Kansas.

Pakistan is bright country and can become brighter only if we start learning from our mistakes and at least our own Media stop highlighting dark side and focusing on brighter side, Pakistan is not a failed state as shown by world media, we do have high hopes in our country and its potentials I only realized by learning about other countries.

Written By: Zoya Fateh Muhammad